I Visited China’s Next Gen Car Factory - America Far Behind!

Summary

In this eye-opening episode, the hosts of On Tour With Dridgers visit one of China's largest electric vehicle factories in Guangzhou, offering an exclusive sneak peek into their futuristic production processes. They explore the factory's innovative and organized environment, highlighting China's significant advancements in electric vehicle technology and the country's rapidly evolving automotive industry. The visit includes insights into autonomous car technologies, noteworthy comparisons with Western manufacturing standards, and the environmental benefits of green-powered factories producing high-quality, affordable electric cars.

Highlights

• Visited a top EV factory in China, showcasing impressive new car technologies. 🏭🔧
• Supercars with incredible power, boasting over 1,200 horsepower. 🏎️💨
• Wowed by 5-minute quick charging technology providing 200 km range. ⏱️🔋
• Toured a green-powered factory, contributing to eco-friendly production. 🌞♻️
• Experienced an autonomous vehicle, highlighting China's forward-thinking in transportation. 🚘🤖

Key Takeaways

• China's EV industry is advancing at a lightning pace, leaving Western countries struggling to keep up. 🚗💨
• Super fast charging times! Charge for just 5 minutes and travel 200 km. ⚡🔋
• Witnessed the future: autonomous cars allow you to nap during long journeys. 😴🚘
• High craftsmanship required for supercars, hence more human involvement in assembly. 🛠️👌
• Affordably priced at $20,000, China's advanced autonomous EV smash pricing norms. 💰🤖

Overview

On Tour With Dridgers, a traveling couple from the UK, gives us a virtual tour of one of China's most advanced electric vehicle (EV) factories in Guangzhou. The sheer scale and innovation on display are nothing short of spectacular, where charging a vehicle is a matter of minutes, and horsepower is redefined in China's electric supercars. 🚗⚡

The factory showcases a mix of cutting-edge automation with traditional craftsmanship, especially in the production of supercars, which demand a higher human touch for precision. This balance ensures both efficiency and top-notch quality, making the cars affordable yet luxurious. The use of autonomous vehicles demonstrates a leap into futuristic travel experiences. 🏎️🏭

The hosts marvel at China's commitment to green technology, noting that half the factory's energy comes from solar power, making the entire production process not only innovative but sustainable. They conclude that China is setting a precedent in both the quality and accessibility of electric vehicles, challenging Western markets to keep pace. 🌍🔋

Chapters

• 00:00 - 00:30: Introduction and Overview This chapter introduces the reader to the concept of fast-paced advancements in travel technology in China. The speaker discusses innovations such as a vehicle that can travel 200 km with just a 5-minute charge, which surprises them with its powerful capabilities. The scene is set in Guanjo, China, where the narrator and their partner, who are full-time travelers from the UK, are visiting the Iron Factory. The introductory chapter sets the tone for an exploration of travel advancements and experiences in China.
• 00:30 - 01:00: Exclusive Access In this chapter titled 'Exclusive Access,' we get an exclusive look inside the largest electric vehicle (EV) company in the world. The narrator, along with Zach from 'Zach in China,' takes us on a tour of one of China's biggest EV factories. During the visit, they explore the vast array of cars manufactured by the brand, and there is anticipation of possibly getting to test drive one of the vehicles.
• 01:00 - 02:00: Brand Recognition and Car Types The chapter discusses the recognition of certain car brands in the UK. The author notes that upon seeing the brand name written down, it was recognizable, prompting them to inquire about the brand's presence in England, which was confirmed. The chapter highlights the range of cars available, from family vehicles to sports cars, and includes a personal appreciation for certain colors and designs, emphasizing the variety and beauty of the cars.
• 02:00 - 03:00: First Electric Supercar in China The chapter discusses the introduction of the first fully electric supercar produced in China. The supercar resembles a Ferrari in appearance and is identified as a sports car. It is noted for its impressive acceleration capability, achieving a speed of 100 kilometers per hour from a standstill in just 1.9 seconds. This highlights the supercar's advanced engineering and performance in the electric vehicle segment in China.
• 03:00 - 04:00: Driverless Vehicle and Features The chapter discusses the capabilities and features of a prototype driverless vehicle, focusing on its top speed and operational abilities. The speaker describes a demonstration of the vehicle, where a driver shows off its performance, including acceleration and handling, implying it can 'run them over' indicating its power and speed. There is a sense of excitement and novelty surrounding this vehicle, as it appears to be a new and yet-to-be-launched model indicated by its number 0000 and statements like 'this isn't launched yet.' This suggests the vehicle is in its testing phase before being available to the public.
• 04:00 - 05:00: Factory Automation and Production The chapter discusses the launch of a new car, which is a significant development in factory automation and production. The conversation reveals that the car has already been launched, indicating a successful production process. The price range for this new car model is between 1.2 million and 1.6 million R&B, which roughly translates to $200,000. The discussion highlights the car's expensiveness but also underscores its appeal as a beautiful supercar, reflecting the high value placed on quality and aesthetics in production.
• 05:00 - 06:00: Human vs. Robot Assembly The chapter explores the theme of human versus robot assembly, focusing on a visit to a car factory. The narrator describes a surprising observation that the factory does not conform to the typical expectations of a car manufacturing facility. Contrary to the expectation of an enclosed and utilitarian environment, the factory is described as plush and aesthetically pleasing. The narrative captures a moment of admiration for a beautiful car, highlighting its reasonable price and attractive Lamborghini style doors, which immediately capture the attention of visitors, illustrating the inherent human attraction towards race cars.
• 06:00 - 07:00: Tour of Factory Assembly Lines The chapter offers a glimpse into modern factory assembly lines, reminiscent of Chinese malls for its advanced technology and organization. Viewers are taken through the process with translations provided by Zach. A key highlight is an advanced driverless vehicle that is yet to be released, showcasing the forefront of innovation within the facility.
• 07:00 - 08:00: Discussion on Car Features and Pricing The chapter discusses the experience and features of a car with reclining passenger seats.
• 08:00 - 09:00: Autonomous Driving Test The chapter titled "Autonomous Driving Test" involves an exciting scenario where individuals experience a car driving itself. There is a mix of awe and disbelief as they realize they have no control over the vehicle, and they describe the experience as surreal, likening it to a spaceship. There is a brief mention of autonomous vehicle developments occurring in China.
• 09:00 - 10:00: Innovative Technology and Impact The chapter discusses the future of travel technology, particularly focusing on the idea of autonomous vehicles. It uses a hypothetical journey from Portsmouth to Scotland to illustrate the potential convenience of such technology, where one could sleep through a long journey and wake up at their destination. This concept reflects the progressive mindset seen in countries like China and indicates a significant shift in how travel is perceived and experienced.
• 10:00 - 11:00: Final Thoughts The final chapter, 'Final Thoughts,' discusses the use of technology in the modern industrial assembly line. It notes the replacement of traditional mirrors with cameras, highlighting a shift towards advanced technologies. The discussion compares this new arrangement to the previous model by Great Wall, noting fewer robots and more human involvement in this organized approach. The section concludes with a reflection on the continuing human role in assembly operations, even as technology evolves.

I Visited China’s Next Gen Car Factory - America Far Behind! Transcription

• 00:00 - 00:30 that's the way China are thinking and that's the way travel's going so you're looking into the future right now if you charge it by 5 minutes it can go 200 km really horsepower look at my face i'm a bit dumbfounded 1,225 wow they got bolted down in seconds oh my god hi guys welcome back we're on tour with Dridgers if you're new here we're a full-time travel couple from the UK we are currently in Guanjo in China and today is a very very special day we are at the Iron Factory the third
• 00:30 - 01:00 largest electric EV vehicle company in the world and they've given us exclusive access to have a look around tour their factory and maybe even test drive a car i'm really really excited i'm joined again with my friend Zach from Zach in China hi everyone this is Zach zach in China and I'm very excited to join in as we tour this one of the biggest EV factories in China let's go see the selection of different cars they do they're actually the brand is actually
• 01:00 - 01:30 in the UK obviously as soon as I saw the brand name written down I was like I recognize that so I asked them I said do you deal in England they said yes this one the second second one in from the end here this this is in the UK so yeah it's a a real family but look this one here is absolutely stunning i like that color yeah very different beautiful cars these are more like family cars and then they go right up from from the family all the way to the sports car as well look at that look at that yeah it's like look
• 01:30 - 02:00 look to me look it looks like a Ferrari yeah exactly this sports car they told they told me that this is the first full electric race car in China yeah it's a super car right super car super car first fully electric super car produced in China what's the top speed top speed from zero to 100 what's that called 100 km per hour 1.9 second 1.9 seconds acceleration acceleration and
• 02:00 - 02:30 what's the top speed what's it go up to now we're asking he's going to He's going to do it he's He's going to drive and run us over i I Wa wow is this sick you see number 0000 oh is this the wa it's the first yeah so this isn't launched yet this has not
• 02:30 - 03:00 been launched is this launched already yeah launched already the first ever made one or not i want to What's the price 1.2 million to 1.6 million R&B well it's about uh $200,000 $200,000 $200,000 yeah $200,000 wow so yeah that is um an expensive car but for a beautiful supercar like this this is a
• 03:00 - 03:30 quite a reasonable price actually look at that unbelievable beautiful it is a beautiful car and the Lamborghini style doors as well i'm loving it it's funny that there's all these cars and we just straight away it was like your eyes instantly go to that yeah of course it's what men do it's just attractive to the race cars so walking around this factory it's not like you'd expect a car factory to be obviously you'd expect a car factory to be a bit like uh enclosed a bit you know like cars but it's uh it's quite plush
• 03:30 - 04:00 quite modern it reminds me a little bit of like a is a little bit like a mall like a Chinese mall oh look at this here wow is that like a simulation i'm just going to ask so what we're doing we're obviously getting the information translated through Zach and then Zach's going to relay it to us yeah I'm going in what is it this is the most advanced driverless vehicle it's not out yet no it's not out yet this one wow this one
• 04:00 - 04:30 oh I'm lying down so I'm going to sleep for half an hour and then I'm at the destination oh imagine that should I try the uh passenger seat no whoa whoa whoa i can move yeah come on in Ben what's that room for a little one oh I'm I'm lying completely down oh my god this is so comfortable so how can you drive like this
• 04:30 - 05:00 we don't we don't the car is driving itself yeah I know oh wow oh my god so that's it you've got no control it's gone look it's going away unreal brian come around here a sec oh my god this looks like a spaceship look at this wa so imagine in the future so what they're doing in So in China they're living in
• 05:00 - 05:30 the future but imagine in the future when you can get in your car so say you got long journeys say we're we're in Portsouth so say we're traveling all the way back to Scotland and you go "Okay let's set let's set my alarm let's go to sleep and then when we wake up we're going to be in Edin Edinburgh." And that's that he's living the dream yeah that's the way that's the way China are thinking and that's the way travel's going so you're looking into the future right now wow cuz this is what it will look like as well
• 05:30 - 06:00 have you seen Rian as well you've got so instead of traditionally you've got the mirrors but instead of that you've got um cameras out there cameras as the mirrors so organized wow so it's a little bit different from um the last G GW um Great Wall one we looked at this is obviously less robots more more humans a very organized project definitely so this is this is the assembly bit though Ben this is always normally humans yeah that's true
• 06:00 - 06:30 i think there are different sectors of this factories well these factories assemble factory so they're going to need workers they're going to need human workers to put parts together what percentage of this factory is like automated or robotics well he can't tell the exact percentage but for the big parts well the big parts assembly they don't need humans to do it but these small parts they need precision precision yeah they need the craftsmanship and this is where you going to need human yeah sure yeah how
• 06:30 - 07:00 many cars do they make per day all year whatever 200,000 vehicles coming out from this factory every year every year 200,000 vehicles a year wow so what they do they put that like a skeleton and then they put everything around it and the robots they assemble the big parts and then for the tiny tiny ones we're going to need you know human employees to put them back together is that carbon fiber yes i think I think it is yeah yeah carbon fiber carbon fiber yeah so it's like you see a factory like
• 07:00 - 07:30 this obviously I don't know western factories but it's hard to think because everything looks so organized and everyone looks like they're doing their their own duty so it's hard to think how the West are competing especially with the price as well i mean the prices here in China are just well they're unmatchable tariff or no tariff they're unmatchable okay here this this section is for the glass installation or normally there will be no human
• 07:30 - 08:00 employees here but now because uh they're checking if the system is running well so there are human employees there there you can see some human employees checking but normally there will be no uh human employees here or robots normally them robots would do it yeah the robots will install the glasses on the cars oh wa so these robots are putting four wheels on this car look at it
• 08:00 - 08:30 madness isn't it uh wa literally done in seconds yeah it's like a Formula 1 sort of situation a lot of people say to us like in the comment section they want oh well in the west we've got factories like that but point is we have never been invited okay so if you've got factories like that have you
• 08:30 - 09:00 got something to show us prove it yeah well invite Yeah prove it invite us but in China they want to they want to show us and they got nothing to hide so that's the difference look at this so these seats literally go in the car and Wow wow they get bolted down in seconds oh my god and then one after the other is doing it done move on
• 09:00 - 09:30 madness so you've got obviously each section they've got TV screens representing each section all the way around so when I say about organization everything is organized and everyone's got their own section it's really it's quite madness oh is it just the super cars yeah yeah yeah i want to tell you something here about this supercar assembly line that they just told me this is the least automated uh assembly line why because
• 09:30 - 10:00 it's super car it needs craftsmanship of course yeah yeah you're it's they're going to need human a lot of human employees to assemble these super cars and that's why it reflects the price as well cuz when you're paying if you're paying a premium price for a premium product you want humans because people say "Oh it's better," which it's not but people think it's better so they want to get what they pay for so you're going to pay for 200 and $200,000 for a super car
• 10:00 - 10:30 good way yeah yeah but for the others like I know 20 $20,000 you can get one that's the difference difference hell of a difference wow and then over here you've got the final inspection line everyone's checking it all through they've obviously got like a checklist on what they're looking for in here so like I I got a question as well i know it's uh it's none of my business but you know it's £200,000 for for the supercar dollars $200,000 yes yeah so how much would it cost to produce it how much would it
• 10:30 - 11:00 cost to make they can sense me yeah but it's their cost this is like the secret the business secret right you don't ask you don't get it what color would you go for that one black yeah i I don't know to stand out do I no I'll go orange yeah I'll go orange as well i like a high profile yeah so horsepower look at my face i'm a bit dumbfounded 1,225
• 11:00 - 11:30 like that and what's a Ferrari i think well don't hold me to it i think it throws about 800 that's crazy but the question is where are you going to drive it that fast well the brake horsepower is not all about the speed it's about how Oh okay it's about acceleration acceleration yeah yeah but even so you're not going to drive it anywhere that fast anyway well this is uh one of the most advanced battery i was going to say is it a
• 11:30 - 12:00 battery it has a battery and it's super safe even you shoot it with a gun it won't it won't blow yeah it won't blow even you shoot it with bullets so what happen so how long does it take to charge and stuff like that uh from 10% to 80% it takes 20 minutes yeah and how long does it last how many miles yeah how many miles what's that uh 500 km 500 km how many
• 12:00 - 12:30 miles is that uh 300 miles 300 miles yeah that's quite a lot it's like a tank of petrol this year it says if you charge it by 5 minutes it can go 200 km really yeah only in 5 minutes and it can go 200 km 5 minutes 5 minutes you can literally the time you plug it in yeah yeah you got toilet go toilet come back and then on
• 12:30 - 13:00 your way on your way back up and back again wow that's sick that is sick so does that make people want electric cars more i think Well absolutely look at the price of fuel going up up up up up up it's a no-brainer isn't it you've got to get electric car now so like Alex told us the other day in China it's a bit different from in the UK and the West where you've got to look for if you got a Tesla you got to look for a Tesla plug and stuff in China all the electric cars have got the same outlet so it's they're quite it's the infrastructure is already
• 13:00 - 13:30 set up to have electric cars so in the future I think every western country every country around the world are going to have to set theel up with better infrastructure for electric cars because it won't be long before I mean that's all we're using right so as we've seen all the assembly and all the cars and all the beautiful cars they are going to take us for a autonomous driving test not about drive say driving test but it's going to be like a a test run of
• 13:30 - 14:00 one of their cars it's actually the car that they sell in the UK so if you are from the UK you get to see it here now in person but yeah we're excited to jump in and test it out wow so you can get the British car in red right so you saw us get the autonomous taxi in the last last time we went to the factory this one's a little bit different they said it's sort of like state law where they've got to have a safety officer officer in the car so it is totally autonomous but he's just here to make sure like everything goes well
• 14:00 - 14:30 cuz he's a safety officer so in Guanjo is there a autonomous taxi like app or anything like that yes that there is an app there is an app yeah because uh but but they they I think they they only allowed in certain areas of the city because there's safety issue yeah the same this is this area is way too new because they're going to need laws and regulations to make sure everything is working fine yeah and of course the the um the navigation has to be spot on
• 14:30 - 15:00 otherwise they drive into the bush exactly yeah how much would this cost $20,000 $20,000 and it's a nice It's almost like Now now now he's setting it free oh now he's setting it free no hands he looks a bit He looks a bit nervous yeah i will say like in the back here it's really comfortable look how much leg room I've got as well well according to the law in China uh well it's still illegal illegal to completely driverless so uh yeah is
• 15:00 - 15:30 really well or I mean in most parts maybe in some certain areas it's allowed to you drive car without a driver but most areas uh it's it's illegal so uh it's in the in the system that when it doesn't detect your hand on the on the wheel it send a warning it sends a warning hey are you sleep put your hands put your hands back on the wheel yeah yeah there I go
• 15:30 - 16:00 please hold the wheel yeah so you need to be in control of the vehicle Yeah you need to prove that you're not asleep by touching the wheel and and then the car knows yeah yeah you're going to pay extra for this you're going to pay extra for this you got to pay extra for it so you can get it so the standard car that doesn't have this feature you got to pay extra for it but um yeah I definitely want my next car to have that you'll never have the car no I never
• 16:00 - 16:30 need one uh they say they're the first uh electric vehicle company to to uh li to to to launch a product that has autonomous driving and under $20,000 this is the first one yeah this is the first one wow well the other autonomous vehicles they they're going to be at least uh $30,000 so this is the cheapest autonomous vehicle in the in the world possibly
• 16:30 - 17:00 yeah I mean I don't think anywhere else can produce cheaper cars yeah that's no one can produce good quality and cheap cheap like affordable affordable manufacturing than China so this is the cheapest autonomous vehicle in the world it's crazy and it's Yeah it's very nice yeah so we've just been told that this is the largest car factory in Wanjo and it is green powered 50% of the power comes from solar power so yeah it's uh saving
• 17:00 - 17:30 the planet as well as producing excellent cars it's a green factory producing green cars exactly a green factory producing green cars yeah so when we're around that U-turn the radar obviously senses all around it so normally when you turn a U-turn you're used to looking back looking back behind your head checking your blind spots but obviously all you do is sit back and relax and the car does it all for you it's got five sets of five sets of eyes five radars looking everywhere so yeah it's more safer than human being we got
• 17:30 - 18:00 a little table a little table yeah wow quite um you can put your laptop no screen back there right no I know no screen so you could work on your laptop here you got like a table that folds out i guess if you pay extra they're going to have a screen there yeah nice big booth it is nice isn't it glass roof
• 18:00 - 18:30 sweet home all the beeping for it's cuz it's come to its destination yeah the destination yeah well that was awesome what and then once it reachs the destination have you got to take control of the vehicle then i'm guessing yeah I assume so so it does the autonomous bit for the bit for the bit you set and then you're back to driving it manually now if you set a destination here then you don't have to take over depends on where you set your
• 18:30 - 19:00 destination yeah it's parking itself to come oh wow huh got on the screen there look you didn't see the parking spot too far from the radar you have to be close oh you have to select which parking spot oh now I can sense it oh this is good this is crazy i hate parking this This is really good
• 19:00 - 19:30 no more bad parkers anymore yeah how clever is that wow look at this is crazy now that's a good feature yeah that is clever look at that beautiful that is insane perfectly done in one go just like that amazing
• 19:30 - 20:00 and we're in yeah thank you for that look at that perfect parking i know what a great car that is a nice car yeah $20,000 snap it up it's amazing car thank you for watching that was absolutely honestly it's blowing my mind these Chinese cars they're amazing about the tariffs China are not scared they're producing amazing cars like that and at an affordable price you add 20% onto it add 30% onto it 40% they're still the
• 20:00 - 20:30 most best affordable and quality cars you can get a big thank you to Zach from China um go to the description we'll leave his his channel in the description and subscribe